There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge, and I knew we'd get into that rotten stuff pretty soon. – Raoul Duke

I Know This Has Happened To All Of You – at least once

You’re dealing with some bureaucracy, playing phone tag, faxes getting corrupted, documents got chewed up by your dog (or in the case of bureaucrats – their boss, the computers, or the janitors). But one of the worst excuses is; it’s in the mail.

This is a postmark of a letter I received from the VA, in my mailbox on Saturday, June 21st, 2014. By coincidence, I had just called them the day before around 10 AM, to schedule a refresher check-up. The admin I spoke with informed me that my primary physician had submitted his resignation, and that Friday (day of my call) was his last day, and it would be over a month for his replacement to be hired.

I understand that these things happen. No stress on my part – I can wait 1.5 months to see a new doc (unlike many, many others). What surprised me was this letter, received the next day.

Check that date. Just about three weeks prior to the posted date, this letter was typed up stating my doc’s last working day was the 20th. Coincidence? Sure – mail gets delayed all the time across a distance of 48 miles 😉.

Since this is not a critical care event for me (if it were, my wife would take me to the nearest ER, where they would stabilize me until they could ship me to the nearest VA facility), I can find the humor in it. Since I’ve worked with federales from all sorts of agencies, I acknowledge the Byzantine management procedures they follow (acknowledge – yes; comprehend – never!)

So, a minor rant on an insignificant experience. Just a primer for your upcoming week 😈. Remember to look both ways before you cross the street; a bus may hit you, but the bureaucracy steamroller will run over you.

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Published by Edward Kowalski

Pretending to be an up and coming author. During this phase, I might have some off-the-wall comments about politics, society, and life in general. Which is not anywhere near the first two topics.
View all posts by Edward Kowalski